Notre Dame de Paris (Our lady of Paris, meaning the church in Paris dedicated to the Virgin Mary), or commonly known as Notre Dame in English, is a gothic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in Paris, France, with its main entrance to the west. It is a major tourist destination, and is still used as a Roman Catholic cathedral. Notre Dame of Paris is widely considered to be the finest example of French gothic architecture.
Notre Dame of Paris was one of the first gothic cathedrals ever constructed , and was built throughout the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the serious manipulation of naturalism, giving them a more worldly look that was missing from earlier Romanesque designs.
Notre Dame of Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress. The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. On the other hand, after the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic) grew ever higher, stress factures began to take place as the wall pushed outward. The buttresses were added to prevent further corrosion. For many years, the buttresses were loathed as it was said they looked “like scaffolding” someone had forgotten to remove and gave the cathedral a fragmentary look.
The cathedral exhibits a sculpture of the Virgin Mary which is popular as the Virgin of Paris. Specially made during a time of great wealth by local merchants who saw the cathedral as a resource of civic pride and a symbol of a new economic freedom, the sculpture is renowned for its immoral display and lavishly expensive adornment. While not heretical in subject, some observers have sensed that the sculpture is more of a sign of conceited wealth than piety.
In 1905, the law of separation of Church and State was passed; seeing that all cathedrals built by the kingdom of France, Notre Dame of Paris remains state property, but it its use is granted to the Roman Catholic Church.
There have been rumors about bizarre sightings in the cathedral itself. Some tourists have claimed to have seen apparitions of nuns floating at the ceiling of the cathedral. In addition, several mystics have claimed that the Notre Dame of Paris was made to quarantine many demons that had existed.
Notre Dame of Paris has had an eventful history over the centuries. Crusaders prayed here before leaving on their holy wars and polyphonic music developed in the cathedral. Notre Dame was plundered during the revolution of France, as were a number of other cathedrals all the way through France.
Notre Dame of Paris has long been frequented with many tourists and visitors because of its magnificent gothic structure. No one would want to miss Notre Dane should they come to Paris.
Paris Opera House
Palais Granier or Paris Opera House was formally inaugurated on Januar...
paris_opera_house.php
Paris Map
* Michelin Paris AtlasThis is an essential, all-around Paris map...
paris_map.php
Paris Wine
The jury of nine tasters in that Paris wine competit...
paris_wine.php
Paris Budget
* Best Time To VisitLovebirds will opt fo...
paris_budget.php
Paris Fashion Week
The Spring fashion weeks are held in January through March, and Fall fashion weeks are held between September and Nov...
paris_fashion_week.php
University Of Paris
Of all the 13 current descendant universities, the first four is located in Sorbonne, and thr...
university_of_paris.php
Hotels In Paris
* Three Star Hotels in ParisHotel Bourg Tibour...
hotels_in_paris.php
Eiffel Tower
The tower stands 986 ft. high, which is about 75 stories...
eiffel_tower.php
Paris Airfares
Paris airfares for business class accommodations* £205 via British Airways. Valid from August 26- September ...
paris_airfares.php
Paris Tour
Paris Tour Day 1Begin in Paris's chronological heart, Île de la Cité, where you can see the stained glass in ne...
paris_tour.php
Paris To Amsterdam
The fare between the cities is very reasona...
paris_to_amsterdam.php
Paris Tips
If you plan to explore and want to have an up close and person...
paris_tips.php
Paris Cheese
The wine and cheese have to be in the table every meal. The cooking might be getting a little lighter in Pari...
paris_cheese.php
Disneyland Paris
In Disneyland Paris, you will experience the more technologically recent ride...
disneyland_paris.php
Paris Casino
The Paris Casino and Hotel is one of the most exquisite places in Las Ve...
paris_casino.php
Paris, France
Pesent mayor of Paris, France is Bertrand Delanoe. He has been in position since M...
paris,_france.php
Monuments Of Paris
When you say or talk about Paris, probably the first thing the will cross...
monuments_of_paris.php
Paris Fashion
* Paris Fashion in the 19th centuryEnglishman Charles Worth, al...
paris_fashion.php
Paris To Berlin
Behind the composition of “From Paris to Berlin” lies a story of a “tour de force of musical genres...
paris_to_berlin.php
Paris Weather
* FebruaryFebruary is an ideal time to visit France if you are a snow sports enthusiast. The ann...
paris_weather.php
Paris Airports
In the otherhand, Orly is just a national airport in Paris whic...
paris_airports.php
Paris Landmarks
The street sketch and total metropolitan improvement of Paris are divided i...
paris_landmarks.php
Paris Museums
* Musee Jacquemart- AndreThis is the former house of art collectors, Nelie Jacquemart and Edouard Andre. The two we...
paris_museums.php
Paris Food
If you are into fresh food, markets in Paris and the Il De France, is ...
paris_food.php
Carnival De Paris
The group’s 1997 hit single Sunchyme sold over 2 million copies in Europe alone and the follow u...
carnival_de_paris.php
Paris Cafe
The Paris cafe was on of the most attributes and importa...
paris_cafe.php
Paris Catacombs
Unlike the many extravagant museums, cathedra...
paris_catacombs.php
Paris Shopping
Paris shopping offers a wide variety of charming shops to go to for your shopping spree; from ant...
paris_shopping.php
Paris Flights
If you are really raring to fly to the City of Lig...
paris_flights.php
History Of Paris
* History of Paris in the Middle AgesSince 512 AD, Paris was already the capital ...
history_of_paris.php
Paris Attractions
The Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure i...
paris_attractions.php
Paris Apartments
Paris apartments are strategically located offering easy access to airports, t...
paris_apartments.php
Paris By Night
You will not only enjoy Paris during the day, there are plenty of exciting activities to do and e...
paris_by_night.php
Bars In Paris
* La CasbahThis chic bar always plays the hottest musi...
bars_in_paris.php
Restaurants In Paris
* Bistrot Cote Mer (French)One of the restaurants in Paris that wi...
restaurants_in_paris.php
Paris Jobs
If you are an EU national or married to one, you don no...
paris_jobs.php
Paris
It produces more than a quarter of the nation’s...
paris.php
Moulin Rouge Paris
A lot of foreign personalities have experienced how is it to be on stage at M...
moulin_rouge_paris.php
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune is repeatedly said to be the first case of working people taking ...
paris_commune.php
